FEA - Sorrowful Melody
by Dorsu
Summary: A story of love, hate, betrayal, war, stupidity, sick fires and wicked emblems. Follow Mocha as she finds herself thrown into the kingdom of Ylisse and tries to find her place in the brooding war that follows.
1. Introduction

Man am I bored. I wanted to try out something different, so I decided to start making a fanfiction of Fire Emblem: Awakening, with my partner in crime (her name is CockatielLover, go look at her story as well). We're both doing different stories but we're playing along together, and our characters might even cross paths in our stories!

This seems like a good enough starting point for my REIGN OF TERROR on this site. Of course, **there will be heavy spoilers** **for the game.** Probably. Don't read it if you haven't played the game unless you don't care.

Also I will be deviating from canon at some points because I really don't want to stick so much to the actual story because that's boooooring :P

And I haven't written a proper story in years, so this will be quite the experience ^^;


	2. Chapter 0 - Prologue

I throw down my sword in disgust, watching the ashen air carry dust and death before me.

"I should have listened." Tears appear from my eyes. I shut them, trying to protect my comrades from them. "I should have been there for her. This is all...my fault..."

The young girl beside me, a hand on my right shoulder. "You have done no wrong," she says with a smile.

But that's a lie.

It's all just a god damned lie.

* * *

The flowers smelled as they would on a peaceful spring day, as I awoke from my slumber. In front of me I saw a blue-haired face with deep eyes equally as blue. Those eyes seemed to stare deep into me, not with an intimidation but instead with a calming aura. As he called to me, I snapped back to reality and sat up as quickly as a rabbit might run from a predator.

"...your name?" The boy asked.

A cock of the head. "I'm sorry?"

He raised a brow and asked again. "What are you doing here? What's your name?"

Oh, my name, of course. My name is...

"...I can't remember."

Up went the man's other brow, along with a look of confusion. He looked to his side, at his two comrades. One was a small girl, who couldn't be more than fourteen. The other a much older, much more rugged man with an armored horse beside. The girl frowned and shrugged. The man sighed and whispered to the blue-haired boy. Although they were close to me, I could hear only small pieces of their conversation. However, that was enough to hear about the "suspicious girl" in front of them, and the ratio of amnesiacs to bandits.

Finally, the boy broke from the conversation and addressed me. "Well, we can't just leave her lying outside of town like this. Come on, follow us."

I was reluctant to agree, but I admit that I was curious about the blue-haired, blue-eyed boy. His merry band was interesting as well, but the boy seemed to be captivating, in a way. He quickly remembered that he hadn't told me his name yet, and I found that my new friend bore the rather uncommon name of Chrom.

We began our walk to the town ahead, but were stopped short by a handful of rough-looking men. They asked for coin for food, to which Chrom happily agreed. He reached down into his pocket, but was stopped by a dagger at his throat that had been withdrawn from one of the beggars' sheaths. The boy's eyes widened. A surge of instinct - or was it fear? - came over me, as I read from the tome in my hand that I had all but forgotten existed, and caused a shock through the man with the unsheathed blade.

The rough men were astonished - as was Chrom, whose life had just been spared. Chrom's escort - Frederick, his name - quickly unsheathed his own blade and cut down the remaining bandits. The seconds in which we stood, silent, above the now deceased group seemed more like minutes. We continued then on the path, trying to forget the lives we had just taken.

Chrom took the time at this point to ask me about the book I had just used to conjure magic. Of course I could not answer. I didn't know, myself. However, while I had tried to remember, a single word came to me. A name.

"Mocha."

Chrom looked over. "Mocha?"

I nodded and repeated, "Mocha. That's my name. I just remembered it."

Frederick glanced over and bore an expression of distrust. Chrom commented on its foreign nature.

The girl, Lissa, commented more positively, saying it was "cute and sweet". She smiled as she said it, which made me want to smile as well. If not for her comment, I would have completely forgotten she was there.

With that, and a motivational "we must hurry" from Frederick, we set off once more for the town ahead.


	3. Chapter 1 - Tactics

The tears flow, and don't stop. For the first time, I feel that our quest has been hopeless. We never had a chance against our own destiny.

"I can't do this anymore."

The girl scowls, and her hand comes across my vision as it assaults my cheek. "Get it together, Chrom!" The mark is matched with my second cheek. "She's gone now. You can't change that. Stop looking at the past and see what's right in front of you!"

When did this girl become so stern? I look in front of me, at the chaos that crushed my resolve so easily.

Even her face. Cute, innocent, little Lissa. Even she is defeated by the chaos, a slight twitch betraying her powerful expression.

She's stronger than I ever was.

* * *

Our group of four stepped silently into the town, its name too insignificant to note. The town was bustling, however, and everyone was going about their errands with a sort of urgent air. Perhaps a festival of some sort?

I asked Chrom about this. He chuckled, and said that life was always like this in small villages.

"Ever since the Plegians infiltrated and started a war, Ylissean folk have been quite cautious. They want to be as safe as possible from any threats."

This provoked further question. Chrom chuckled at his mistake. "Ylisse is the continent you're currently standing on. We've been trying to protect this land from the neighbouring theocracy of Plegia." Chrom frowned at this. "Ever since the crusades between the two nations fifteen years ago, Plegia and their exalt, Gangrel, have held a burning hatred for the people of Ylisse. Even after our previous ruler's death, which was followed by the new exalt withdrawing our forces from Plegian soil, they harbor such a grudge."

I mirrorred his expression. "Is there nothing that can be done to quell their anger?"

Surprisingly, he laughed. "As if their lord would see his country submit to peace. He would rather die with Ylisse in flames than rule on equal ground. No, as long as Gangrel draws breath, we will be under constant threat from our western neighbour."

A smile crossed his face. "But enough political talk. Let's see if we can find something to eat!" This provoked a cheer from Lissa, as well a slight grin from the seemingly emotionless Frederick.

As we walked down the streets, we let our gazes wander, looking for stores or shops that piqued our interest. At some point we would have had to find food, but we could still look for interesting places to browse. As the swordsmen of the group looked for new blades, Lissa and I looked around in the toy shops. The little girl beamed as she found a cute, turquoise, plush bunny. The price tag labeled it as twenty-five gold, likely a meager price if not for the lack of coin on my person.

The girl noticed my concern, but seemed to smile even more. "That's alright, I snatched some money from my brother when he wasn't looking. Chrom will be fine without a few gold pieces!"

Indeed. A more likely story would be that a generous brother wanted to let his sister have a little fun. No harm done, of course.

We walked from the shop after Lissa's purchase, and pondered our options. I took a quick glance. The town square was near us, just a street down. A lovely arrangement of benches with a large fountain as the centerpiece. Looking past the busyness of the town, the place had a very peaceful feel.

Another glance, at a different angle. Staffs, tomes, swords; if it could harm, there was a store for it. Among the weaponry, there were also unique shops for an assortment of interests. One building, titled "Talents and Hobbies", piqued our interest.

In the shop was an array of strange looking artifacts. Strange talismans, colourful orbs; all interesting but none known. Labels underneath revealed their namesakes, but not much more.

Lissa seemed to voice my thoughts, as she asked what in the world a "Second Seal" was. This drew the attention of a man behind the counter in front of us, unnoticed until that point.

"Are you two curious about classes? I can provide some information if you'd like."

I explained to him that we were new to the area, and we hadn't heard anything about classes. We didn't exactly have time for lectures. He looked confused, and then laughed. "Oh, not those kind of classes! Classes in this sense are different skills that certain types of people can use."

The man told us more, and how each class worked. There were some made for offense, and some for support. The former were users of weapons such as lances, swords, axes and tomes, and the latter were people who could help the offensive become stronger through various means. Lissa was a supporting class - a cleric, meant for healing her allies when they were in trouble.

He then focused on me with an intrigued expression. "Yours, miss, is a class that is quite rare. Tacticians are folk that can use a variety of tools at their disposal, most notably swords and magic, to fit their needs. They can also change into any other class that they desire, bar a select few. This is different from other classes, which can normally only change into classes that are similar to the original."

The man smiled at my impressed reaction. "I would describe you as a jack of all trades, but that would imply that you can be a master of none. Tacticians have astonishingly high potential, since they can reclass so diversely and gain experience in so many areas. You can become very powerful, if you're dedicated enough."

Lissa piped up. "Wow, Mocha, you're a really cool lady! I wish I could use magic like you!" I laughed, and told her that being able to care for her friends is a sign of strength as well.

I thanked the man for the explanation. He grinned, and offered me a copy of the "Second Seal" artifact that we had seen earlier. He noted that if I ever wanted to try out a different class, I need only hold that item and imagine the class I wished to be. The idea seemed more than a little far-fetched, but it was worth a shot. I thanked him again, and stuffed the object in my bag.

Behind us and outside, we began to hear the startled voices of townsfolk. Stepping out, we could see that the town was in a state of panic. Men and women were fleeing for their homes, stores closing down and doors locked. The source of this mayhem was obvious - a large, dark vortex had appeared in the sky. Worse, there were humanoid creatures falling out of the vortex. The monsters shambled not far from the village, close enough to start such a panic.

Running over and rejoining our group put us face to face with two new members. Chrom explained that they were named Sully - a knight, and Virion an archer, and wished to help us fend off the new threat to the town. We silently shook hands, and took off for the infested area.

As we approached, our spirits dropped at the number of creatures we had found. How could we fend off such a large attack? Chrom readied his blade, as did Frederick. They were about ready to charge the center, when a boy came out from the forest, masked and with hair as blue as Chrom's. He ran through the crowd, and his blade through the bodies, taking several as he passed. The knights rushed in to help the boy, and the archer and I were caught from behind by more monsters. Not long after, a scream was heard behind me, as one of the monsters approached a terrified Lissa. The masked boy hurried over and blocked a strike from the being, beckoning our help. As I and Chrom rushed in, our blades drawn, the three of us sliced our cold steel through the creature's internals. Even if the anatomy differed, something of that nature could not survive three precise strikes through its body. Sure enough, the shape collapsed into a heap on the ground.

As the rest of the group finished off the remnants of the crowd, we breathed a sigh of relief. Lissa and Chrom turned to thank the boy who had saved their lives, but as they began to speak words of praise they realized that he was no longer there. Shock changed to suspicion, and to my amusement, they had to exchange glances to assure that he had actually been there and not been a hallucination.

Cheers were heard from behind, as townsfolk saw our efforts and applauded us. They offered us food and shelter for our efforts, which was admittedly more than tempting. As we walked by to find a place to stay for the night - dusk had already come and gone - I had overheard someone comment on how exciting it had been to have been saved by the prince of Ylisse himself.

Interesting.


	4. Chapter 2 - Risen

I cut down the Risen as they arrive en masse, desperately trying to preserve our position. We're falling back. We need to advance, but the feat is impossible. How can we face such a horde of destruction?

I plunge my cold steel into the beast. It turns its head and screams at me, spewing smoke. Frederick rushes to help, breaking our position to save my hide, once again.

Lissa waves her staff, trying to keep the bastards away. We reform our position.

The Risen march on. We have no chance against them.

Not without her.

* * *

As I finished my meal and washed it down, I made a comment. "That was delicious."

I looked in the direction of the blue-haired boy. "Although likely not fancy enough for someone so noble. Wouldn't you say...Prince Chrom?"

The boy froze, and his indomitable knight choked on his food.

Chrom breathed out, and responded. "A prince? Where in Ylisse did you hear such a thing?" A twitch in his smile betrays his guise, not to mention Frederick's reaction.

Frederick spoke up. "A noble? Preposterous. Milord would never..." His eyes widened as he realized his error, and he quickly ended his statement. A slight grin crossed my face as I found my answer.

A sigh escaped the exposed Chrom. "Well, you've figured it out. I am the prince to the throne of the kingdom Ylisse, and the younger brother of the current exalt."

I gave a puzzled frown. "But why would you keep something hidden like that?"

"Knowing my identity allows for many opportunities for assassination. I could not be certain that you could be trusted. Although I guess by now I wouldn't have anything to doubt, after our previous battles together." He chuckled. "I also don't care for the title of prince; I'd rather serve in the Shepherds as a comrade, and not a commander."

The Shepherds? "You tend to sheep?"

The girl spoke this time. "We do, but not the livestock kind! The sheep we tend are a simile for the Ylisseans who can't fend for themselves!"

"Very good; I see you've been studying," Chrom replied. "But the sheep are a metaphor, not a simile."

Lissa pouted. "What's the difference?" At this Chrom laughed, and Frederick joined in shortly afterwards.

After a few moments, Chrom remembered I was there. "Oh yes, that reminds me. Mocha, would you like to join us? We could use a fighter like you. I believe you said you were a tactician?"

A spot in their group of Shepherds? I suppose I had nothing to lose. And it would be good to explore the land, not to mention help people who are in need of it. I agreed, much to Chrom and Lissa's enthusiasm.

"So it's settled, then. Come on, we'd better get a move on if we're to reach the capital any time soon."

Lissa whined, "But we just got here! And it's almost dark. Can't we sleep in cozy beds for once?"

Frederick smiled. "Milady, you would waste such an opportunity to build your strength in the woods than waste away in such a musty inn?"

Her irritation was more than a bit obvious. "Frederick, you're a big jerk sometimes!" At this we laughed, even Lissa herself.

The evening was uneventful, and we proceeded without much difficulty. Near dark we had set up camp, and soon settled down for the night. We were still a ways from the Ylissean capital, Ylisstol, and we had quite the walk ahead of us. Virion had earlier left without a word - at least, not with any I could understand - and Sully, although a member of the Shepherds, had decided to travel in a different direction to check on other towns and villages.

The other three members had long since fallen asleep, but I had too much on my mind. I was still thinking about my memory loss. Who was I before now? I guess that's not too important, though - the friendships and experiences I'd had so far were amusing, and that was all in the span of a day. Hell, I'd even met with a prince and princess! However, I couldn't help feeling that I was supposed to be doing something. I supposed if it was really important it would reveal itself eventually.

I decided to think of something else at this point, and thought about what kind of Shepherd I could be. I had smartly grabbed a list of different classes from our previous shopping excursion, before we had left. However, looking over the list, the choices were astonishing. Mages, clerics, archers, mounted knights, thieves, swordsmen - the list was endless. From my understanding, although I could potentially master any type of weapon, only certain classes would be able to use certain weapons. It was an odd concept, but I didn't judge. It didn't seem like that would make the classes I'd trained as useless, however, because the skills I would pick up from training in those arts would carry over to any class I change to. For example, if I trained as a thief I would be able to pick locks even if I changed my class afterward.

Speaking of thieves, that seemed like an interesting choice. After reviewing my options once more, I took out the seal I was given earlier. I thought about the class I wanted to become, and a bright light encompassed me. Hopefully it wouldn't wake the others. After a few moments, the light vanished. I looked at myself, feeling admittedly different. Even my clothes had changed. I picked up the tome that I had earlier used, but it seemed foreign to me. I tried to use it on an open patch of grass, but to no avail. I put the tome back into my bag, and silently picked up a sword laying beside Chrom. After a few quick passes with the blade, I felt confident that I could in fact wield it, and set it back down where it was. Smiling, I laid back down and tried to get to sleep.

I questioned my imagination as I recalled Chrom's open gaze, if only for a moment. It seems I had been caught.

Oh well.

The orange-pink sun rose with an unstoppable passion, lighting up the horizon and leaving a glow across the ground. A yawn came from beside, as I watched a drowsy Lissa wake from her nap. She was the last to wake; the men were already scanning the woods for wildlife. I beckoned to the girl, and, smiling, she followed as we went to forage for herbs.

The girl broke the silence, and commented on my new look. I told her about the night's events, and she was excited.

"A thief? That's really cool! So can you, like, sneak up behind people and steal their gold and stuff?"

A smirk escaped my face. "Now that's not very ladylike, is it?" Lissa replied to this with a grin and an adorably innocent-looking face.

As we continued walking, a shape appeared in front of us. Looking closer, we watched as the boy with the mask approached us.

I smiled. "You again? You must be stalking me or something," I jested.

He walked up, with an indifferent expression, and not a single word. He raised his right hand.

The hard slap left my face with a flushed mark.

With a shocked look on my face, and a gasp from Lissa, the boy drew his blade and spoke. "I will not allow the same mistake twice. You will die where you stand, and I will fix everything."

The shocked expression I bore turned to anger, as I drew my own weapon and matched his. As we connected blades, I spoke to him. "What are you talking about? I haven't done anything wrong!"

"Your actions have condemned those around you! I will not allow this travesty to go on!"

_Shit, _I thought to myself. I couldn't put her in danger like this. I deflected another attack and spoke, "Lissa, get away from here!"

The girl backed away ever so slightly, then appeared to decide something in her head. As she yelled "Stop," she ran at the boy with her staff. He quickly withdrew, and then addressed the girl.

"You would protect your captor like this?"

Lissa was confused. "Captor? Mocha's not keeping me captive! She's my friend, and I won't let you hurt her!"

This seemed to shock the boy. "Mocha?" He appeared to mull this over in his head. His expression changed suddenly. "It can't be...I couldn't have the wrong..."

The masked boy stood stunned for a moment, then turned and bolted in the opposite direction. I called after him, "Hey, wait a second!" But he was already gone.

Captor? What travesty? All of this was very bizarre. I tried to shake it out of my head, and started back to the campsite with Lissa.

After a half-day's walk, we finally arrived at the huge walls of the capital city. Lissa smiled in relief, and Frederick suggested we hurry inside. After the recent events, I couldn't agree more, and we entered the city.

The nobles' return was noted by many who came up to meet them, almost as if we were under attack all over again. We fought our way through the crowd, and headed to the castle stationed at the far end of the city. Eventually we arrived, and were greeted by guards welcoming the prince and princess and their guests. Chrom said thanks to them both, and we followed him to the main hall.

We were greeted once more by a rather stunning lady, dressed in fine clothing and with a smile that could win over any heart. She had long blonde hair ending in fine twin drills, and a mark on her forehead that matched the one on her brother's right shoulder.

She spoke up. "Chrom, Lissa, welcome home!" Lissa ran to give her sister a hug, with a smile reaching to both corners of her face. Chrom smiled as well, and thanked the woman.

Chrom then addressed me. "Mocha, this is Emmeryn. She is my older sister and the current ruler of Ylisse." I nodded to him and bowed to the exalt.

"It is a great honour to meet with you, Milady."

The cheerful woman responded with a wave, "Oh, no need to be so formal. It seems you've befriended my siblings. Your name was Mocha?"

I replied with a "yes", and Chrom spoke up. "We found Mocha stranded in a field, and ever since she has helped us with many a battle." He grinned and look in my direction. "I even recall her saving my life at one point."

Chrom and his older sister then discussed royal matters and political areas, while Lissa dragged me down a few flights of stairs. We ended up in a less regal-looking area, but still well maintained. There we met with a couple of the Shepherds, namely Sumia, a knight and Vaike, an axe-wielder. Lissa told them that I was their newest recruit. Sumia shyly greeted me, and Vaike laughed and offered to teach me some of his skills. I said hello to them and thanked them for the warm welcome.

As we ended our introduction, Chrom arrived and called to us all. Sumia spoke up, sounding distressed and excited at the same time.

"Captain! How are...I mean...I'm glad that-" She started, but as she hurried over to Chrom, she tripped and landed on her face. I stifled a giggle as she got back up and dusted herself off. She was obviously head over heels for the blue-haired boy, and admittedly I may have been a bit jealous.

"Sumia! Are you alright?" Chrom quickly responded. "Are you having trouble with your boots again?"

"I...Yes, I mean no, I mean...!" She stuttered, embarrassed.

We quickly veered the conversation to a new topic. The Shepherds had been asked to venture to the nearby kingdom of Ferox, to seek assistance from the troops there. We were to leave in the morning.

We were also informed of the strange beings we had encountered the past day. It appeared that they had been popping up in many different areas, and the council had named these creatures "Risen". Chrom told us that we should be wary of this threat, but try to eliminate them if possible.

With all of these new comrades, I felt safe and happy. I felt like this was my home.

At least, that's what I thought at the time.


	5. Chapter 3 - Marth

The words barely escape my mouth. "Fall back!" We back away from the horde, and attempt to escape. All of us manage to flee, miraculously. I would thank the Gods, if we weren't trying to take one on.

We retreat to our home; our haven. Ylisstol is in ruins, but the castle is mostly unharmed.

Walking through the empty passages, our steps echoing, I try and fail to push my thoughts away. The city is dead. The Shepherds are dead. My sister...I can't even bare to say her name. She's dead too.

Everyone is dead.

Everyone but her.

* * *

The walk was treacherous, and the path unclear. We had still been tending to our wounds, as not ten minutes ago we had been caught in battle with the vicious "Risen". In the final moments we have been saved by our female comrade Sumia, who had rushed in and plunged her spear into the last of the force. We watched in awe as she turned to face us, smiling and sitting upon her winged stallion.

"That was amazing," I exclaimed. It appeared she was no mere knight. She later told me that she was in fact a pegasus knight; a graceful protector of the skies.

She sheepishly smiled. "Oh, I-I'm nothing special," she protested. I admired her, nonetheless.

Pressing on, we soon arrived to the gates of Regna Ferox. Chrom yelled to the guards to request entrance, and was quickly greeted by three well-aimed arrows. He ended the attack with a quick slide of his blade, and the arrows fell to the ground.

I was a little confused. "What the hell?!" Okay, more than a little.

I walked up to Chrom. "Aren't these guys supposed to be your allies?"

"That's what I thought too." He yelled again at the guards. "What are you doing? Why are you firing at the prince of Ylisstol?"

He was met by a female voice, from a woman clad in rather large armor. "Shut up! You won't be able to fool us, brigands!"

Two guards rushed up to Chrom, as he shoved into one and knocked back the other with the blunt of his sword. His strength by far outmatched the two, and they were taken to the ground with ease.

The woman stepped forward, toward the boy. He gripped his sword. She grinned, and laughed. "Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! You took down my guards as if they were nothing! I'm sorry I doubted you, sir."

A confused look crossed my face, and evidently Chrom's as well. "I beg your pardon? I thought you thought us brigands?"

She slapped him on the back and replied. "Here in Ferox, we let our steel speak for us. We knew common bandits couldn't take us on. We've had plenty of impostors posing as the prince of Ylisstol, all cut down by our forces." She shakes her head. "We believe they're originally from Plegia, as we've seen Plegian emblems on their person."

Chrom was upset. "Impostors? Is Plegia so desperate to turn Ferox and Ylisse against each other?

Frederick spoke up, as he watched the sky darken. "Perhaps we should continue our discussion inside." We agreed, and proceeded inside the castle.

Within, we met with what happened to be the leader, or Khan, of Regna Ferox. She welcomed us, and we explained our situation. She was content with providing assistance, however she said that she did not have the ability. As Chrom was confused by this, she explained that there were actually two Khans governing Ferox's rule, Flavia being the East, and that the other was currently in power. She explained that the leading Khan was determined by an annual tournament between fighters chosen by both Khans.

Frederick sighed. "Does your kingdom so strongly revolve around violence?"

The female Khan, Flavia, laughed. "Of course! Strength is measured by strength, as the way it should be. We wouldn't have it any other way!"

We soon found ourselves ready for battle, facing off against our opponents in the arena. We had to win this match; Ylisse's safety required it. As I and Sumia headed the left, Frederick and Vaike the right and Chrom at the front, we were prepared for anything. Quick rogues and powerful knights came charging, hoping to take us off guard. I held my position as I sent shots of lightning at the charging enemies, sending them flying while my partner speared the stragglers. I saw from behind Frederick taking on two men at once, while Vaike fumbled with his axe, trying to attack the man taunting him from his front.

Chrom rushed forward, facing the main of the attack and slashing through all that crossed his path. Swords, spears - nothing passed him as he cut down his foes. As the force was subdued, he saw the tactician leading the strike. I looked to him and gasped, as I saw that the tactician had the same blue hair and grey mask that I had seen more than once before.

He drew his blade, and a wave of shock seemed to go over Chrom. Looking at their blades, I saw that they looked one and the same. A duplicate? No, by the look on Chrom's face that didn't seem plausible. As he rushed the boy, they clashed swords, and I saw for the first time that his style of fighting had a beautiful flow - very similar to his opponent.

Finally, the boy fell to the ground, his sword at his side and his opponent's at his throat. Looking up at the man's eyes, he saw a grin appear on Chrom's face as he sheathed his blade. "You fight well," the victorious man said. "Who taught you to fight like that?"

At that, the masked boy swiftly returned his blade to his hand and circled around Chrom, placing his sword beside the man's own neck. "It was my father," he countered, with a slight arrogance. After a moment, he slid his blade back in its sheath and stepped back.

"Chrom!" Lissa, and me in turn, ran to his side. "Are you okay?" asked a concerned Lissa.

"I'm fine," he replied. "Although my opponent was quite the adversary. I am curious as to..." he trailed off, as he turned to look at the empty space where the masked boy once was. Somehow he had vanished.

"Oh well," I stated. "We'll probably see him again." The rest of our group met with us, and we walked victorious from the arena.

A hearty laugh echoed from behind, and a large beast of a man stood before us as we turned around.

"Well done, well done! An honourable victory. I was sure that I had picked that 'Marth' as the better fighter." Marth likely being Chrom's earlier opponent.

He took his axe from his back and pointed it toward Chrom, who panicked and backed away from the man.

The man gave another laugh. "Oh, relax! You fought with courage, and bested us in the arena. You deserve the title of champion!"

Chrom seemed to calm down just a little, and asked the obvious question. "A thousand pardons," he started, "but who exactly are you?"

A surprised look appeared on the man's face, but a moment later he simply smiled. "Ah, sorry about that. I'm Basilio. I'm the more rugged, manly West Khan!"

I fought back the urge to inform him that that would make sense, considering the East Khan's femininity.

We met with the East and West Khans. After a long discussion, with many arguments between the two leaders, we were given our reinforcements by the Khan Flavia. Basilio also left us with a parting gift; one of his swordsmen, Lon'qu. With a simple "I am at your service," he became one of our troupe. I tried to say a word of welcome to him, but he seemed almost afraid to talk with me. Basilio laughed once again and explained that he has a weakness for women.

With that, we set off once more for Ylisse, with us talk of our reward of reinforcements from the now well-acquainted Regna Ferox.

We walked until the sun left. The moon rose, as we kept on. Although the path was dark, we could more or less tell, and we had many guides to lead us to their home town.

A sound from the west. A shout. No, a horse's cry. We were met with soldiers, charging fast. To our leader, Frederick informed: "Milord, they seem to be of Plegian origin." Chrom nodded, and yelled for our group to prepare for battle.

A crack. A bat found its home on a pegasus' side, and a scream from Sumia rode out as mount and rider stumbled to the ground. From a quick glance, it appeared that the girl had passed out from the shock. Chrom locked blades, but was bested quickly by more than one opponent.

A pain from behind. A flash across my vision. I fall, rapidly losing consciousness, the last thing I see a blade through Sumia.

An ominous darkness.

Then, nothing.


End file.
